The Grand Optimist
by m y e p i p h a n y
Summary: "Now, it may be easier to kill you—" I whimpered, "—but that would not bring your father to us, now would it Klara?" Klara, having always thought she was a child of privilege, is forced into captivity to repay her father's debt, that is until Bane takes special notice of her. Bane/OC. Reviews are most appreciated! Rated M for later chapters.
1. The Grand Optimist

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Dark Knight franchise. Boo hoo. **

_I fear I'm dying from complications_

_Complication due to things that I've left undone_

_That all my debts will be left unpaid_

_Feel like a cripple without a cane_

_I'm like a jack-of-all-trades_

_Who's a master of none_

"_The Grand Optimist" – City and Colour_

* * *

My head hurt worse than it had in years. My arms lost blood circulation from the tightened cord wrapped around my wrists hours ago, and my legs had cramped underneath them in a painful way. I stopped turning my neck every time I heard a noise now for fear of whiplash on top of everything else.

The room I was left hostage in was nothing remarkable; nothing to make it stand out so I may be able to describe it to a cop one day. Instead I was blindfolded walking in and will probably be walking out blindfolded as well. My stomach sank when I realized I might not be walking out of this room at all. Still, my eyes scanned the stark white room with bare grey-carpeted floors, me sitting right in the centre of it, and fluorescent light panes on the ceiling. It must be an office building, probably northern Gotham. Anything downtown would be much sleeker.

I groaned and relaxed my wrists in hopes to gain some of the circulation I had lost back. I heard the door open and couldn't help but twist my head fast, the resulting sprain causing me to cry out.

"Quiet." The man who walked in commanded. I had seen him before, waiting in the car that had brought me here… someone not quite on top but who was superior to most of the henchmen nonetheless. "I am going to cut the cords on your wrists but not your feet, do you understand?" I looked up at his bearded face and nodded. "If you make any attempt to harm me or seize the blade, I will kill you." Tears came unbidden to my eyes for the umpteenth time that day.

He used a silver dagger and in one swift move released me of the rope. I rubbed my wrists together and wiggled my fingers. Wiping the tears from my eyes I saw that he had left the room. I had been crying constantly for the past two days. From the moment I was taken from my home to now, on and off. My eyes, I'm sure, would be permanently red and swollen. The door opened again, but this time I did not bother turning.

"Ms. Esser. We meet at last." I started sobbing. I had heard that voice hundreds of times over the television, radio, and megaphone these past three months. And if they sent Bane in, surely I would be killed.

"I must admit, you were not tricky to find… your father on the other hand is proving to be most difficult." Even through my sobbing, I heard a certain musicality to his voice that I hadn't noticed before. Of course it wasn't as though I would be a challenge to finish, so why shouldn't he have fun with me? "Your father owes me a lot of money."

"He can't." I croaked suddenly. My father didn't even know him, I remember how shocked he was the first time he had heard of the 'masked man'. Say what you will about my father, after seeing Bane, even he wasn't naïve enough to borrow money from him.

"Forgive me, I mean to say he owed various businessmen significant sums of money, all of whom are now under my debt. Do you see the predicament?" His voice was not muffled by the contraption on his face, just slightly mechanized. These were things I hadn't observed from his various appearances on television. "Now, it may be easier to kill you—" I whimpered, "—but that would not bring your father to us, now would it Klara?"

I knew I was being taken as bait for my father. I knew it the moment they came for me. What I didn't anticipate was Bane himself having grievances with my dad. Of course we knew he had borrowed money from people. My father, being the eccentric scientist he is, wouldn't have been able to afford the luxuries my siblings and I were granted on his meager salary. How much could he have borrowed for me to be in this mess?

"I don't know where he is!" I choked out. "He left weeks ago without telling anyone!" On all fours, I turned my body so that I was facing his legs. The sheer size of him astounded me. On screen he looked large and impressive; in person he was terrifyingly massive. His broad shoulders were tight against a black shirt and his legs were two large logs draped in military pants. His eyes dark and unrelenting, he kneeled down so I could see every spindle on his spidery mask, which did not frighten me as I thought I would. In fact, it looked to me like one of those germ protection masks that sick people wear when contagious. It made him look vulnerable, or at least it did up close.

"I am aware that your coward of a father has left you and your family behind." The words stung and he could sense it as his eyes narrowed. Though I was angry with my dad, I could not hate him. I could never hate him. He was the most wonderful father in the world who never let any of his kids want for anything. Incredibly optimistic and enthusiastic, he would come home from the lab with expensive gifts telling us it was because he cured cancer. We would laugh and roll our eyes but accept the laptops, clothes, and books without hesitation. We were just as much at fault as he was.

"I take no pleasure in having to nourish you to keep you alive while I await his return. Know this, you are not special. Had your brother, sister or mother been home rather than you, it would have been them. Now, you will spend your time here with other relations of thieves and traitors. If any of my men find you attempting to escape, you will suffer…my displeasure."

His blue eyes stared my brown ones down and I found myself tearing again, finally having to look away. He chuckled and stood up, "Weakness! Tears will not get you far with me girl, or my men. You are dehydrating yourself and we have limited supply of water to ration amongst you all."

He held his hand out which I took hesitantly, the other fist balled in my eyes. The moment he let go, I fell back, my legs still tied. Without missing a beat, Bane's arms lifted me from the shoulders and he hoisted me onto his back. Once we were outside the room in an equally stark hallway, he signaled the man with the dagger to slice the cords, which the man did instantly. As soon as my legs were freed, Bane dropped me on the hard floor and walked past his men without a glance in my direction.

His henchmen did not move and waited for me to stand. I did slowly, grabbing the white walls of the narrow hall. "I need the washroom." My voice was weak. The blade man jerked his head towards a woman with cropped black hair. She took my arm and roughly led me to a plain washroom. Looking at myself in the mirror, I saw what two days could do to a person.

My full brunette hair fell lank to my breasts. My eyes were smudged with the shadow, liner, and mascara I had put on two days ago when I thought I would be going to my friend's house. There were grey stains on my cheeks as residue from the tears I couldn't wipe. _You're in deep shit now Klara._ I straightened the pink dress I was wearing, now it looked silly and childish, washed my face, and let the rough woman take me to my prison.

* * *

**A/N: I really hoped you liked it! I know the first chapter's boring and there isn't much character development but swear it will get better! This was just some advance in the plot and next chapter I'm going to start on Bane and Klara's relationship. **

**Reviews are always appreciated! And I have no idea where I'm going with this in the long run, so if you have any ideas, let me know **


	2. These Days

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters in the Batman Nolan universe. **

_Watch what you say  
the devil is listening  
He's got ears that you  
wouldn't believe  
and brother once you go to him  
It's your soul you can never retrieve_

"_These Days" – The Black Keys_

* * *

I was being held in a jail cell with several other women, in a room the size of my parents' closet back home. The bunk beds we were sitting on were decorated by a small pillow and blue blanket, exactly the type you would get on an airplane. I sat slumped against a wall, picking at the pink dress I had been wearing for three days now. My hair felt greasy and rough from the lack of a comb or shower. At least I had stopped crying. Bane wasn't lying when he said there was a limited supply of water. I realized that I was being held in Blackgate Prison.

The women around me were leering at me. Their eyes were greedily staring at my diamond studs and tailored dress. They assumed I came from money, which, I admit, I would have said I did if asked a week earlier. I draped the blanket around my back and tucked my chin down to my chest.

"What's a girl like you need with such finery in there, huh?" the voice came from outside the cell, where an overweight guard was grinning hungrily at me. I ignored him.

"Come on sweetie why don't you pass those earrings over? I promise you won't find anyone else asking as nicely as I am." He stuck his face in through the bars, as far as he could, and lowered his voice, "Come on honey, just hold out those stones and I'll make sure no one bothers you…"

He was right about one thing. The women in here didn't look like they would be gentle with me if they wanted the diamonds. Slowly, the guard coaxing me all the while, I pulled out my earrings, a gift from my father, and held them in my outstretched palm. He snatched them with sweaty fingers and waddled off, a little spring in his step.

"Wouldn't have done that if I were you." I hadn't noticed when a much younger man had walked outside my cell. "His shift just ended, he won't be able to protect you from anything today." I dropped my head to my knees and groaned. The man laughed, not in an unkind way. "Don't worry kiddo, I don't think anyone's going to bug you much anyway. You're too… uh…innocent." He looked sheepish and I noticed that he was quite handsome, in a boyish way. I wondered why he was working here if he was so nice.

"You don't think that makes me more susceptible to attack? Being innocent?" My voice came out stronger than anticipated.

He considered me for a moment and said, "Maybe…But not if I have anything to do about it." He pinned me with a sincere and strong gaze. My stomach was in knots and my cheeks pink.

"Thank you." I murmured. "What's your name?"

"Tom. My name's Tom, Klara." He smiled a crooked smile that showed a dimple on his right cheek. Suddenly I was happy to be wearing my fitted dress and upset at how greasy my hair looked. I wondered how he knew my name. "Well, I guess I'll be seeing you in the yard then."

"I hope so." The yard was Bane's humorous way of making us look like the previous occupants of the prison. 'Yard time' was time to get exercise and often time for the inmates to start brawls. I had spent the one-hour outside, before, crying with my head in my hands; I was sure no one had noticed me. This time, however, there would be no way for me to stay invisible, but with the thought of Tom circling the yellowing grass with me, I smiled.

* * *

"Hey beautiful, wanna play with us?" The jeers from the men on the other side of the fence called out to me. "Aww don't be like that baby."

I had taken to walking circles around the yard; the worst part was the edge that separated the women from the men. I could not see Tom anywhere. It was likely he was on the other side, in which case I would not be seeing him at all because I planned to stay as far away from the sleazy men as possible. There were women of all ages here. I recognized some from the newspapers as being wealthy wives of CEOs; others were young mothers sheltering their babies from the harsh wind. I had brought out my blanket, which was wrapped around me like a cocoon.

I was nearing my sixth round when a gaggle of small girls caught my eye. Four of them were circled around a smaller one who had ringlets of blond hair and was crying. They all seemed to be around eight or nine years of age except the small one, who was probably six. I left the perimeter and headed towards them.

"Give us the doll!" One of the girls said forcefully. The small blond held the Barbie close to her chest and wailed louder. "Stop being a cry baby, you don't even need it!" The girl who was talking had stick straight black hair and made a grab for the doll; I moved quicker.

"Hey, hey, stop." I pried them apart. "What's going on?"

The raven-haired girl put on an entirely innocent face. "Nothing." She had big blue eyes that were too wide to be telling the truth.

"Well, I saw what was going on." The girl's face fell. "You shouldn't pick on people, especially four against one. It isn't very moral."

"Er… but she took my Barbie!" She said the last few words quickly and stared triumphantly at the blond.

"No it's mine! My mom gave it to me before she left!" The blond yelled in a tiny voice.

"What's your name?" I asked the black haired one. She was a little bit higher than my hip.

"Vicky…"

"Well, Vicky, if I'm being honest, I believe this young lady. From what it sounded like, you just wanted the doll." I spoke slowly. "And what about you? What's your name?" The three other girls I hadn't spoken to were staring at the exchange with wide eyes.

"Lily Berkins." She said quietly.

"Okay Lily, why don't you and I play together and these girls can have their own grown up game? Does that sound like fun?" Lily nodded and took my hand.

We walked to the other side of yard where we played with Barbie. We talked about school, how much she hated math, and then the conversation drifted to her parents. Lily started crying again and it made me want to as well.

"I miss my mommy too! I promise we'll see them soon okay?" I leaned down and gave her a hug.

"I'm scared." She whispered.

"Of what? Has anyone hurt you?" I asked seriously.

She shook her head and in an even quieter whisper she said, "The man who wears the mask." I didn't know what to say. How could I tell her that she had every right to be scared? That I was probably more terrified than her? I had an idea.

"What? What's there to be scared of? Do you even know why he wears the mask?" She didn't smile but looked up. "Okay, I'll tell you, but you have to keep it a secret. Can you do that?" She nodded eagerly. "Pinky swear?" I stuck out my little finger and she wrapped hers around it.

"The reason he wears the mask is because…" I paused for dramatic effect, "…his breath _stinks._ And I mean _stinks._" She gasped and started to laugh. "Yeah, his dentist forced him to wear it because whoever smells it gets knocked out like that!" I snapped my fingers. "And that's why he's so grumpy! His dinner gets stuck in the mask!"

"Really?" she asked in bewilderment.

"Oh god yes! And you know how he keeps talking about 'Gotham's Reckoning'?" She nodded slowly, still smiling. "All it means is that he's going to take off the mask and start breathing on people. He thinks that everyone's going to faint and Gotham will fall." Lily was laughing hysterically and I started giggling between breaths.

But then she stopped. And I knew why. I could hear it, I could see it, and most importantly, I could sense it. Behind me, the massive figure that was Bane had cast a shadow over us. And then, I felt the pincer like grip on my shoulder.

"Ms. Esser, I believe?" I was a statue. I didn't move from my sanctuary on the grass. "You are to come with me. Say goodbye to your friend."

I gulped. "Lily I'll see you soon okay!" I lied. I wasn't going to see anyone soon. I gave her a hug and a kiss on the forehead. I stood up and followed Bane towards the exit. Then I heard a tiny voice call out.

"Mr. Bane?" Lily yelled. "My mom says brushing twice a day keeps the bad breath bunnies away!" I groaned and Bane turned.

"Thank you, young one. I will keep that in mind." His voice was icy but Lily grinned and waved to me.

* * *

We walked out of the yard and out the exit of Blackgate. The city was in ruins, a little more so than it had been four days ago. Then again, I never did spend a large amount of time downtown and didn't have much to compare it to. Bane walked a few blocks east, me following his every stride. We did not encounter a soul as we walked through the barren streets once lit up by sweet shops and bright boutiques. Finally we reached a black SUV. Bane opened the backseat door and I scrambled in. Then, he pulled out the driver by the lapel of his blazer and threw him out onto the street.

I daren't breathe a word. He drove through the abandoned streets by the prison to better lit, wider roads in the financial district of Gotham. After ten minutes of silent driving he pulls into an underground parking lot of one of the sleekest high rises in Gotham. It was one of those buildings that defined the sky like with its white stucco and black accents. I remember my friends and I walking down this very road dreaming of living in the penthouse. When we both got out of the SUV, Bane spoke.

"You have quite the knack for story telling. Imagination is a powerful tool when used in appropriate doses." I had hoped he wouldn't bring it up, but then again, it was the reason I was here now.

"I didn't know you—"

"Silence. You will speak when I tell you to speak." His eyes bore into me and I shrunk away from his glare. "You have a new home now Ms. Esser."

He walked into the lift and I followed. He input a code and we were shooting up to the top floor. Once the lift opened, we walked directly into a grand foyer, all hardwood and clean white walls. It was decorated very stylishly and I didn't think it was to Bane's taste.

"Ms. Esser, do you know how many people are permitted in this room?" I shook my head. "Two… and now three, including myself. Get acquainted with your new domicile for you will not be leaving these walls unless you are with me. Never."

"How long will—" I was interrupted by a hard slap from Bane. Shocked, I held a hand to my cheek. I had never in my life been hit before. Even when they took me from my home, I didn't put up a fight for fear of abuse. Now, having been hit hard by a man I barely knew, I started to cry again.

"I told you not speak unless I tell you to. Is your crying this constant?" I was silent except for the choking breaths coming out of my mouth. "Speak!"

"No." I said immediately.

"It seems that you are never seen without tears. Why?" Again, I am silent. "When I ask you a direct question you may talk, now again, why are you in constant emotional instability here?"

"I've never been treated this way before. I've never lived like this."

He laughed a hearty laugh. "Ah of course! A girl of your wealth would not have seen pain through your father's web of lies. So this is all new to you, is it?"

"Yes." I was indignant. What did he know of my pain? I was sure he had seen a lot in his life, but pain was all-relative.

"I assure you, you need not become accustomed to the pain. If you do as I say of course." He stepped closer to me, until he was less than a foot from my face. "We would not want your delicate frame to see the horror and tragedy the rest of the city has seen, would we?"

I assumed this was rhetorical and did not answer. He continued, "You will bathe—" he jerked his head towards a room across from him. "—and you will eat." There was a plate of lasagna on the granite counter beside me.

"When I return, you may ask me a small sum of questions which I may choose to answer." He said in his mechanical voice. At that tone of finality, he pressed the button for the lift, which opened immediately. Turning so he faced me, he pressed the code again. The doors closed in on and him and my tears started up again.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you thank you for all the reviews, faves and follows! This is my first Batman fic and you all are so supportive!**

**I'm going to try and have the next chapter up by tomorrow :)**


	3. Save Me

_And all the dead ends  
and disappointments  
were fading from your memory  
Ready for that lonely life to end_

"_Save Me" – Gotye_

* * *

The washroom was luxurious; the kind you see on 'Fabulous Life of the Rich and Famous'. After bathing in the magnificent pool of a tub, I started to feel better then but my mind started to drift to my family. Did they know where I was? Were they looking for me? I added these on to my mental list of questions to ask Bane.

I combed out my hair and slowly dried it using the hair dryer in the cupboard underneath the sink. Everything in the penthouse looked relatively unused, like it had been furnished for a family that never lived there. It could have almost felt like a hotel, but there were just too many homey touches: the blanket over the white suede couch, portraits of a giggling toddler and an attractive blond couple, things like that. Mind you, it didn't feel homey to me. It felt like I was at someone's house that I did not know well and was awkwardly making myself at home.

I stayed in a fluffy white bathrobe because my tailored pink dress had accumulated its fair share of dirt. I hoped I would be able to live long enough to wear something else. I frowned at the melodramatic thought.

Yes, that thought was still looming. Was I going to live another day? The mercurial man who was holding me hostage could at any moment decide I wasn't worth the trouble. I decided that my survival was more important than my petulant pride. I had never exactly had a reason to defend my honor until now. Growing up in the prestigious estates in northern Gotham, going to a preppy private school, and now having just finished my first year at Gotham University, I was an accomplished young lady.

I wondered how my brother and sister would have handled this situation. Damian would have fought until his fists were bloody, not leaving any survivors. Elise would have cried even harder than I, being only fourteen. I thanked God Elise wasn't in my position. I didn't know where my innocence lay and I shuddered at the thought of Elise having to defend herself from any sort of abuse.

It was nearing eleven at night and I had long ago demolished the lasagna. There was food in the fridge, I checked, but I did not know if I had permission to eat it. The dull pounding on the side of my face was enough to remind me that I didn't want to experience the wrath of Bane again.

I flicked through the television channels and found myself watching an old rerun of Seinfeld. I fell asleep on the couch at around two in the morning to the sound of Kramer and Jerry.

* * *

The loud ding of the elevator signaled Bane's arrival. I sat up quickly and rearranged the pillows on the couch. I gazed expectantly at the enormous figure moving towards me.

"So you've adopted the dark." The only light in the apartment was the flickering of the television, now showing an infomercial for the Magic Bullet. Who didn't have one by now?

"It is almost dawn Ms. Esser, are you not fatigued by the day's events?" he asked me.

"I was waiting for you." I calmly answered. "You said I could ask you some questions."

His eyes relaxed in understanding. "So I did. Very well, you have ten minutes. Speak."

"Where's my family? Are they looking for me?" I asked in rushed words.

"Calm yourself Ms. Esser. What you fail to realize is that these trivial matters have no bearing on me. I do not know where your family is or if they have made any attempt to bring you back to their life of lies. My men left a note for your father weeks ago, as a warning, that if would not repay his debts, we would take you… or anyone in the home." He gave a thorough response that did not answer anything.

My heart was beating fast and I was taking in quick shallow breaths. "If it is of great importance, I will let you speak to one of my men. That is, if you are complacent." The last word came out in a hiss. Was he referring to my compliance verbally? Sexually? I remained quiet. "Next question."

"How long am I here for?" I was scared to know his answer. What if it was only a day? What if I was going to die today? Until I'm a rotting corpse? His eyes lit up in surprise.

"I would have thought that obvious for any intelligent girl, perhaps I am mistaken." How dare he? I came top of my graduating class! Well, pretty close to the top anyway. Not low enough to be call _unintelligent_ for sure. "You will stay here until your father's return."

Of course that made sense now that I thought about it. I had two more questions. "Can I see Lily?"

"You have me at a disadvantage." He said levelly.

"The blond girl I was speaking to in the yard." I explained.

"Yes, I had meant to ask, what relationship do you have with her?" he was serious.

"She was a friend."

"You knew her from before."

"No, we met yesterday afternoon."

"You call a child you just met a friend." He scoffed. "Naïve; gullible over life's true intentions. You must learn to trust only those who have gained it."

We were still talking about the six year old weren't we? I didn't know if I still had permission to speak and he gave no indication that I did. Instead, he was staring out the floor to ceiling windows of the penthouse, watching the sunrise. So I did what I knew on instinct: I raised my hand.

He looked at me, amused I could tell, and said, "Ms. Esser?"

"Why did you bring me up here?" I knew he didn't want to answer that immediately after I asked it. He remained impassive.

"Is that all?" he said after a moment. I nodded, wondering what would happen next and then I thought of another question, spawned by my burning curiosity.

"Actually, no." I amended. He nodded once for me to continue. "Why do you wear the mask?"

He contemplated me for what felt like half an hour, and then finally answered, "The same reason your father wears his."

* * *

Bane's answer confused me to no end. What mask? My father wasn't Batman. Try as I might, I couldn't think of what Bane was talking about. All those questions later and I only got one real answer. After his cryptic response, he had led me to a large bedroom with a massive king size bed. It was made immaculately, covered in a sea of pale blue fabric, and artfully decorated with pillows of all shapes and sizes. I could not imagine Bane waking up in the morning and mindfully tucking in the sheets and placing the cushions neatly on top.

"You've never lived here have you?" he stared me down and I covered my mouth. "Sorry!" I gave out a muffled yelp. He ignored the apology.

"No, this is my first night here." Wait… he wasn't insinuating… what? What night? As in sleep here? I had expected this obviously, it had been on the back of my mind since I was first taken, but it didn't seem right. Not in such a fancy bed. Such an act shouldn't be prettied up to make it seem better than what it was: despicable.

"I have AIDS." I blurted out, not bothering to cover the slip up. "I mean I'm HIV positive."

He slowly turned on me. "You are lying." He said menacingly.

"No I partied hard in college. Really hard!" I said desperately. _Please don't rape me, please don't rape me, please don't rape me. _I started this chant in my head. He slapped me across the face, in the same place as earlier in the day. I cried out and shielded myself from him with my arms. He pulled my hands down and grabbed my throat upwards so I was looking into his eyes. This was it. I became conscious that the only thing separating this man from my naked body was a bathrobe tied in a flimsy knot. "Please!" I choked.

He threw me face first on the bed where I started to rub my neck. Then I felt him, heavy, on top of me. I screamed and he yanked my hair up and covered my mouth with his other hand. He leaned down so that the spindles of his mask scraped against my right ear.

"Do you see how easy it would be for me to take you? Do you understand that your lies and antics would be futile?" I cried out into his hand. "Do you remember what I said about compliance? Your speaking out of turn has not been a submissive trait and you are proving to be much more insolent than earlier thought." I started to cry hot and heavy tears. This was it. He would break me into compliance. And then, he let go. He removed himself from behind me and then slammed the door shut.

I did not turn around. I stayed on my front waiting for anything. The sun steadily rose so that the room was flooded with bright, yellow light. I took a pillow from the head of the bed and curled into fetal position, with it under my neck. My lip was bleeding from the second slap and my head aching from when he grabbed my hair.

How could I leave this prison? No one knew where I was. No one would be looking any further than Blackgate. I had hit a dead end. The moment anyone heard I had left with Bane, they would assume death. No one out there could save me even if they tried.

* * *

**A/N: Wrote this one rather quickly so forgive any errors in spelling or grammar! Thank you for the continued support :)**

**Reviews are always appreciated!**


	4. Blacking Out the Friction

_I think that it's brainless to assume that making changes_

_To your windows view will give a new perspective_

_The hardest part is yet to come_

_I don't mind restrictions or if you're blacking out the friction_

_It's just an escape; it's overrated anyways_

"_Blacking Out the Friction" – Death Cab for Cutie_

* * *

I had fallen asleep over the covers and woke up at 3 PM, my head pounding. It was most definitely a mixture of hunger, disrupted sleep, and the abuse I had suffered yesterday. I knew it could have been a lot worse; a man of his size could crush me without breaking a sweat. I sensed that the slaps endured were meant for humiliation rather than pain.

I swung my legs over the bed and hopped down onto the hardwood. Dizzy, I had to grab the bed to keep from falling. I opened the door a crack, peeked out and saw that the great room was empty. Padding across the living room, I saw no food waiting for me as I hoped it would. There really was no point in not eating, was there? I mean he could be gone for hours and what was I supposed to do, starve? Opening the fridge I saw milk, apples, cheese and a few containers of various entrees.

I ended up having a bowl of cereal on the breakfast bar. I was beginning to get irritated with my lack of clothing, still draped in the now less fluffy robe. Perhaps I could wash my pink dress and wear it again. Perhaps I could ask nicely for some of my clothes back home… okay maybe not. I doubt that would go over well. _"Hey Bane, do you think you could run and grab some underwear, sweats and tees from my room back home? Thanks love!" _Not likely.

Television was my new best friend. I hadn't watched TV properly since I was in high school, and even now I tended to navigate towards old reruns. Eventually, I decided to turn to the news, to see exactly what was happening in the city. Ever heard of the saying "ignorance is bliss"? I lived by it.

The moment I turned to channel 6 news, I saw the devastation. I had of course seen a portion of the ruins while driving through the streets with _him_, but this… this was everything I had seen and much, much more. The schools destroyed, malls looted, men shot dead, their bodies piled on the road, and everything in between.

I covered my mouth and stared wide eyed at the screen. The man who caused this annihilation was holding me hostage. Suddenly, I wished I had the nerve to fight. I wished I were strong enough to kill or, better yet, torture him. I wished I could tie him to a chair and force him to see what he had done to my city from my perception. But alas, I was weak, physically and emotionally. At the slightest sign of danger I cried wracking sobs of terror. I would be crushed in a physical fight with any of his men, never mind Bane himself.

Surely everyone has a weakness. What was his? Certainly not my womanly charms… as he had so proved last night; he could have that whenever he pleased. I snorted and shook my head. If it were as easy as seducing him we could have the most beautiful women of Gotham throw themselves at him and hope one of them caught his eye. But then again, he brought _me_ here and he wouldn't reveal why. If it were simply my imaginative story he would have said so, there was nothing covert about that. What made me singular? Nothing, he had said so himself. Something must have changed from the time he left me at the prison from the time he picked me up…

Bane's signal sounded with the chime of the elevator. Again, I fixed the chesterfield around me and sat up straight, doing my best to look as ingenuous as possible, as though I wasn't plotting a way to finish him. But instead of his massive figure, a rather slender woman walked through to the great room. Seeing me, she stopped, disorientated.

I recognized her. "Miranda Tate! You're Miranda Tate!" I jumped up and yelled. How many times had my dad brought home newspaper cuttings of her? She was just as she looked in the magazines: tall, with dark wavy hair, a heart shaped face and burgundy painted lips. She was his idol. "I'm being held hostage! I was kidnapped. You know my father—I mean, Eric Esser!" He had worked at one of her funded labs for a year.

"Wait one moment." She was taken aback by my outburst and pulled out a sleek phone from her coat pocket. Within seconds she was speaking a language I didn't know rather quickly. After about two minutes, she ended the call. "Klara, yes?" She had a beautiful European accent and soft voice.

"Yes, yes it's Klara!" I gleefully exclaimed. After four days in hell, I would finally be leaving. "Can we leave now, he could be back any minute." I made to grab my shoes and dress from the front closet when she touched my arm.

"I am afraid I cannot let you leave. Not now." She looked apologetic.

"Why? Has he got something on you, too? We can leave together!" Again, I bent to strap my sandals onto my feet.

"No." The word had more force than I imagined it could in her soft voice. "You must stay."

"But… but I—" my voice trailed off and I stared longingly at the elevator doors. "It's Bane! Please… please look at what he's done to me." I pointed to the cut on the side of my mouth.

She looked stunned. Finally she would see that I was being abused at his hands and I would be saved. Naturally, I was shocked to hear her reaction. "This is what you are whining about? A cut? Have you not seen what it is like out there?" She waved a willowy hand to the windows. "You are sitting here in luxury and you moan over a _cut_?"

"I—I have no clothes." Even I realized how self-indulgent I sounded. I _was_ living in luxury. I hadn't experienced what it was like to fend for my meals or defend my honor. I knew all this, but I had to be selfish. How else could I save myself?

"You have no clothes?" she strode into the master bedroom and I followed meekly behind her. She threw open a door to reveal a closet that rivaled my own. I couldn't meet her eye; I could tell she was disgusted. "You have not seen pain." She said in a low voice. This was the second time I heard it. "If it were up to me, you would be out in the streets, but evidently you have impressed Bane."

"What?" When did I impress him? All I've done is cry, complain, and defy him. "When?"

She didn't respond to my dazed question. "I suggest you be compliant. It will prolong your survival." And then she walked back across the great room to the elevator doors. "When you see Bane, tell him Talia was looking for him."

* * *

He returned late that evening. I had not eaten dinner yet and my stomach was aching. I did, however, find a number of attractive outfits in the closet, one of which I had donned. It was a little short for my taste but I figured a little skin could help my cause. When he saw me, his eyes widened infinitesimally.

"So, you like your father have taken no hesitation in the theft of other's possessions." I wanted to snort and remind him of the lives he had stolen, but chose to keep my mouth shut. My loosely structured plan to defeat him involved staying alive, and staying alive meant not invoking another slap, or worse. "Prettying yourself up will not save you from me, girl."

I turned red and wanted to hide behind the couch. Yes, I had done my best to look attractive, testing my idea of seduction as a means to weaken him. Now, I felt idiotic in the tight black dress that reached mid-thigh. He sat at the dining room table and did not look at me again. There was a deep gash on his right bicep and what looked like a harsh burn on the back of his neck, I noticed. What had he been up to today? I hadn't seen him injured before. I retrieved the first aid kit I used for my cut and placed it on the table in front of him.

"Oh? Is this how you mended the terribly severe gash on your lip?" my face turned red but I held my own.

"You've been cut." He looked down to where I pointed at the deep, bleeding wound. I could tell he had not noticed it until I pointed it out to him. "And though you may not feel it, it will become infected and they will have to amputate your arm."

"And would that not make it easier for your side to fight me?" He asked with inquisitive eyes.

I considered him, the way he did me last night, and answered. "I think that even with one arm you could cause considerable damage."

"You are correct in your thoughts. Very well, leave it." He returned to the files he was reading. I suddenly felt like a child again, right before I wanted to ask my dad for money. Just as I was about to speak, I remembered I wasn't allowed to, so I raised my hand.

"Yes?"

"I could do it for you. Fix the cut." He didn't answer. "Unless you want—"

"Quicken your pace and do it then." And now he's annoyed. Gathering the supplies I needed, I moved swiftly to his arm and was baffled by the sheer size of it. Surely he must have to lift weights constantly to have this sort of mass. With a clean towel, I siphoned the blood off the cut. It wasn't bleeding profusely but I knew it had at some point. When I went to sterilize it, I looked at him carefully, wanting to tell him it would sting, but he was so immersed in his papers that I couldn't, so I just slowly swiped the alcohol soaked pad across the gash. He didn't even wince. After I wrapped it, I moved to his neck. I had just begun to apply the thick paste for burns when he grabbed my wrist.

"What are you doing?" his tone was light but, as with all his words, was underlying with menace.

"You've been burnt. The—the back of your neck…" he let go of my wrist. "How do you not feel it?" I asked more to myself than him.

"If you were to be stung by a thousand wasps, would you feel the bite of a mosquito?"

"I suppose not."

"You sound skeptical."

"I just didn't think you felt anything." I regretted saying it the moment it came out of my mouth. I waited for the blow.

"That's very astute of you." He said smoothly. "On many levels, you continue to surprise me, Ms. Esser."

Was this what Miranda Tate meant when she said I impressed him? That reminded me; "Talia is looking for you." I said, applying an even amount of orange paste at the base of his neck. He radiated heat.

"What did you say?" he stopped reading and turned his head to look at me, smearing the paste while doing so.

"I'm sorry." I apologized. "Miranda Tate was here and she said Talia is looking for you."

"You may retire now." He continued reading. I stayed behind him, ignoring the dismissal. When he didn't turn I tapped his shoulder. "Yes?" he hissed.

"I haven't eaten." I explained.

"Has no one told you suffering builds character? Sleep. The ache will be gone by morning." I knew I should have eaten before. Smart enough, I didn't argue and instead went to the bedroom and tried to sleep even though it was barely 8 PM.

* * *

I woke up in the middle of the night; I needed to pee. Bane was not in the room nor did it look like he had been. I tiptoed across the apartment to the washroom and saw that the light was on from a considerable crack of the door. I decided to patiently wait outside until he was done.

I was examining my nails when I heard a low moan… that had no mechanic overtone. My curiosity burning, I peeked into the well-lit washroom. There he was, wearing no shirt or vest, in only the khaki colored pants he was wearing earlier. I stifled an intake of breath when I saw his back; there were dark red welts strewn all over the tan skin, and his spine seemed almost jagged, like it was broken at several places and clumsily put back together.

Moving my eye a millimeter up, I actually had to cover my mouth to quiet my shock. His mask was lying on the marble counter, unassuming. I knew the moment I looked into the mirror I would see exactly what he was hiding from the rest of the world. I hesitated for a second, considering the possibility of his face being so horribly disfigured that I would scream. Then surely I would be found out and punished. Looking at the mirror, I had to use every ounce of strength not to gasp.

His face was normal. It had no signs of scarring or disfiguration. In fact, I would go so far as to say it was handsome. Not the boyish handsomeness of Tom the prison guard, but the manly ruggedness of a more mature man. The only thing that marred his face was the fact that his eyes were scrunched in what I could only believe was unimaginable pain. His arms sunk lower on the counter and his back dipped along with it. Anguished, he groaned again. He was biting his lower lip so hard I was amazing he hadn't broken skin.

At any moment, he would have to open his eyes to put on the mask again. And then, he would see me, lurking behind the doorway, knowing his secret. I promptly walked back to the bedroom and shut the door soundlessly. Crawling into bed, I did the math of what I learned today. One, I have somehow caught Bane's attention. Two, he wears the mask to hide the pain. Maybe not hide, he seemed tortured without it… he wears it to cover the pain. The mask must provide him with some sort of relief, that much I know.

Minutes later, I heard the bedroom door open. I was not worried about rape anymore; even though I had no discernable reason not to be, I just wasn't. He slipped under the covers, surprisingly graceful considering the size of his frame, and I focused on keeping my breath even.

This is what it had come down to. The mask was his Achilles' heel. Once the mask was removed, he would be in insurmountable pain and could be taken down. Though this newfound weapon was like the Holy Grail of Gotham's war, I felt a tiny flicker of guilt. Before now, Bane was a monster, an entity, in my thoughts. Now, I couldn't get the pained human features out of my mind, as though they were burned into my eyelids.

* * *

**A/N: So that was pretty long for my standards! And that was some major plot development too. I do have exams coming up so I could be MIA this week, but do not fret my lovelies; I promise to update within the week.**

**Once again, thank you for all the reviews, faves, and follows! **


	5. Something In the Way You Are

_Something got me out of my slumber in the broken night_

_I'm watching you across the room, shadowed by the placid room_

_And I can feel it in my bones, something that nobody knows._

"_Something in the Way You Are" – Kimbra_

* * *

I could not relax the rest of the night knowing what was behind the mask. Even in sleep, his rattled breathing frightened me. More so, I was befuddled to why he would even sleep in the same room as me considering there were three others in the penthouse and numerous henchmen by the elevators, who would be more than able to cease my escape.

My eyelids were drooping but I still had not used the restroom, trying to time it in the middle of his REM cycle. Finally, the ache in my lower abdomen was too much and I made my decision. Slowly, I slipped my legs out of the covers and placed them oh so quietly on the hardwood, turning my head to make sure Bane had not stirred. I padded around the bed but not before I felt his iron grip on my wrist.

"Where could you be going at such an hour?" My breath was hitched in my throat. "Answer me."

"Just the restroom." It came out barely a whisper.

"Well, hurry back." Equally quiet but exponentially menacing.

* * *

The day was quiet. Bane left an hour and a half after my interruption of his slumber without any indication of his return. My television watching routine made me restless and I was itching to explore the rest of the apartment, something I had not done out of respect for the previous occupants. Now that time was abundant, the notion grew more and more tempting. I bit my bottom lip, but made my way towards the lesser-explored areas of the flat anyway.

It was tastefully decorated, very much like my suburban home in north Gotham; all pale blue and mocha with the occasional sharp whites. The second bedroom, which was most likely the guest room, was slightly smaller than the one I had been sleeping in. It held no photos or books, making it the least personal room I had seen. It did have a large window overlooking the harbor. I gazed out and could see smoke curling in from the west side; peering over, I could not see far enough to pinpoint the source. _Some fire or another the so-called Masked Man started._

Yes, the Masked Man… well not so much from what _I _saw last night. I was having trouble remembering exactly what his face looked like. Light, scraggly beard, full lips, strong jaw… I decided that had he not killed thousands, he would be attractive. Certainly not older than thirty-five. The more I thought about his unmasked face, my curiosity burned deeper. Where did he come from? What happened to him? For the love of God, _why _does he wear the mask?

I was aching to use a phone. I wanted so bad to call my mother and just ask what she was doing, how Elise was holding up in violin class, and did Damian make up with his girlfriend? Bane had yet to get back to me over information on my family. I felt slightly braver now and made up my mind that I would ask him when I saw him next.

Eventually, it does get boring roaming the empty rooms of a home that is not yours. Expensive toiletries in the shower? Check. An office furnished with sets of rich mahogany? Check. A child's nurseries so beautifully painted you wish you were a baby again? Check. I wondered what the previous occupants did for a living to afford such lavishness and scorn from Gotham's underworld.

I merged back into my television routine comfortably, keeping an episode of Modern Family running in the background while I made a sandwich for myself. I couldn't laugh at the jokes but I couldn't bring myself to watch anything more somber instead.

My sandwich was a creation of mayo, lettuce, a fried egg, bacon, tomato, and mustard all packed between two thick slices of sourdough. I wondered where the food came from. It seemed to just appear in the fridge for whenever I woke up. Was it Bane? I smirked at the thought of him coming home with a brown bag of groceries, complete with a French baguette peeking out. Ha. Bane shopping at Whole Foods.

I had just finished pouring myself a glass of orange juice when the loud ding of the elevator sounded. I clasped my hands together and looked furtively at the doors. The Masked Man himself appeared, alone, and walked confidently towards me.

"Making a small feast, are we?" he looked down at my rather large sandwich and accompanying chips. I opened my mouth to answer but he cut me off. "Let us watch something a little more... humbling."

I stood still and watched him change the channel to local news. From where I was standing, I could not see the visual perfectly, but understood the gist of something major having blown up.

"Come Ms. Esser, bring your lunch with you and have a seat next to me." I didn't dare disobey him, so I did what he said but didn't eat a bite of the food in front of me. I was too petrified by what I saw. Bloody nurses ushering paramedics holding stretchers of injured people through the streets of Gotham, crying families of victims grasping onto each other for support, and a wife screaming on top of the dead body of her husband. My stomach clenched with the fear I might see Damian, my mom, Elise, or my poor, sweet father.

I covered my mouth as my eyes widened further. He blew up a hospital. Of course, this was akin to the Joker from decades back, I remember my father telling me, but if I recall, no civilians were actually hurt in the explosion; he had given them prior notice. The Joker was all about the idea of chaos. The man next to me took it to another level. I moved to stand up but Bane grasped my arm once again.

"Sit." He said calmly. I sat and lowered my head, refusing to watch anymore. "Chin up Klara. Look at the circumstances in which you're living. Better them than you, isn't that so?"

Chewing my tongue I bit back my response. I wasn't a very disobedient girl, but he brought out the worst in me. So, I continued watching; I wanted to add fuel to the fire that was burning inside of me in the interest that one day, I would be able to pay him back for what he did without any remorse.

The reporter further elaborated on the casualties of the attack and I tuned it out, instead thinking of my raw hatred for this man. I was aware of his continued hold on my wrist, willing me to relate him to the horror on screen. Then, I saw it; what made me cry out.

Dozens of bodies; dozens of small, frail bodies probably half my size, propped up against a brick wall… children who were patients at the hospital, still in their gowns, now bloodied and lifeless. I let out an anguished moan and doubled over as if in physical pain. I tried to pull my hand out of his grasp but he squeezed it until I screamed. Bane was staring at the screen with narrowed eyes and had I been able to see his mouth, I know it would have been a thin line. Up until now, he was smug if not a little proud, but the moment the children were on screen, there was a noticeable difference in his demeanour.

"How could you?" I whispered. It had been a while since I had spoken out of turn and anticipated the punishment, instead he threw my arm at me and I fell back from the force. He stood up quickly and pulled out his phone. I hugged my knees and watched as he spoke quickly in that same foreign language I couldn't place. When he finished his conversation, I could hear his heavy mechanical breathing.

"This was not my doing." His intense gaze took me aback.

"Of course it was! This is ALL your doing!" Both of us were surprised at my sudden hostility. I stood up and walked to him in three quick strides. "It's you. You've caused this destruction, this pain…" I stuck my index finger at the bottom of his chest, which was as high as I could reach. "What did they do, huh? Do the five-year-olds of Gotham owe you money too, Bane?" His eyes narrowed further when I used his name.

"You are treading in dangerous waters Klara." Menace. Too bad I didn't care.

"Children." I was sobbing and I had a very awkward cry, of this I was aware. Between coughs and hiccups, I was able to say, "They're innocent… why—why couldn't… y—you let them…" Longest pause because I really did need to catch my breath here. "…live?"

"What is wrong with you?" He had been staring stunned at me for the entirety of my speech.

"I… have… asthma…" I said through shallow, heaving breaths.

"Will you die if nothing is done?" _I wish._

"Water—" I was overcome with another fit of coughs. My eyes were scrunched closed and when I opened them, there was a glass of cool water in massive hands. He pulled me to my feet, his hand on my lower back, and cradled me so that I could sip the glass handed to me. "I need a doctor."

"It is unfortunate that the hospital has suffered an explosive attack then." The musicality in his voice was too cheery for my mood.

"So it _was_ your doing." I said impudently.

"The hospital's main sector was. It was not in my orders to touch the children's ward." His voice was sinister and I wondered who fucked up. "They will pay for their mistake."

"I don't believe you." I felt bold today. "What would stop you from hurting them when you killed thousands of adults?"

"Children are, as you said, innocent. They have not been corrupted as the more _mature_ have…" The sentence lingered.

"Do you think I've been corrupted?" I stared up at him, eyes rimmed red, still wet with unshed tears.

"Ms. Esser, I believe that the ignorance in which you have lived makes you naïve." He said thoughtfully. "And for a girl of twenty, that is innocence enough."

We stared at each other for a while that way. Him: still cradling my head on the couch, one hand on the small of my back and me: using both hands to hold the crystal glass now half full with cool water. The blue orbs were burning into me that made my stomach uneasy but I would not give him the satisfaction of seeing me look away. Finally, he propped me up and turned away from me.

"We both made mistakes today Klara. Ensure that you will not repeat this brazen attitude and I will endeavor to fix my error." He stood up. "Finish your meal."

I sat stunned at his revelation. Did Bane just admit to his mistake? I escaped punishment, not for the first time, and he admitted that there was some good in me. Well not _good_ per se, but he said innocence didn't he? Could I crack through his exterior and actually find out about the man without the mask? I laughed at my cliché thought. The girl who is kidnapped by the handsome man who won't show his true self but she can fix him! Oh and he tortures hundreds of people on a daily basis and can crush her like an ant at any time he pleases.

I wasn't foolish enough to think that I could make a difference in his personality, but there was a glimmer of hope that shone from when he called me innocent. I might actually be integral to this fight. I might be able to save Gotham if I hit him at the source.

* * *

**AN: Okay… I don't want to talk about the awkwardness of how I haven't updated in like a year. Let's not discuss that.**

**Are you guys still into our sexy villain? I know I am!**


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